About Me

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jenna hawkey, twister, sports model, international athlete, kayak, canoe, kayaker,

A bit about myself…

I was born in Cornwall and hail from the village of Portreath where I’m a member of Portreath S.L.S.C. I’ve always been sporty – netball, hockey, cross country, athletics, anything that would get me out of homework - and first joined the surf club when I was eight. I have a sister called Holly who is also a talented kayaker and surf lifesaver, as well as an awesome netball player (England Trials - u-huh!) After passing my first year at Oxford University I transferred, and graduated from the University of Exeter with a BA Hons in History in 2007. It's while at Exeter that I was first encouraged to try canoe sprint racing. When I retire from international sport I'd like to be a sports journalist, commentator or presenter, as it combines two of my favourite things: sport and talking! I also love drawing and playing the guitar but I don't have enough time to be any good at either!

Home town: Portreath, Cornwall

Club: Exeter Canoe Club / Portreath Surf Life Saving Club

Best achievements: 5th European Canoe Sprint Championships 2010, K4 500m; 7th World Canoe Sprint Championships 2010, K2 1000m; 4th U23 European Canoe Sprint Championships 2007, K4 500m; 7th World Championships 2007, K4 1000m; European Surf-Ski Champion 2003 and 2005; Silver, World Lifesaving Championships 2008, surf-ski.

Ambitions: To win a medal at the 2012 Olympic Games, to become World Surfski Champion, to complete the London Marathon, an Ironman Triathlon, the Molokai to Oahu surfski race, and the Coolangatta Gold Ironman (surf lifesaving)

Started racing: surf life saving 1995, flatwater canoeing 2006, downwind surf-ski 2008.

jenna hawkey, japan, lifesaving, surf lifesaving, international lifesaving cup,

Favourite event: 500m K4 - a good k4 feels even better than it looks.

Favourite course: Athens regatta course (massive tail wind), and Kurrawa beach (sun, surf, sharks….)

Coaches: Kayak: Trevor Hunter and Miklos Simon; Surfski: Glenn Eldridge; S&C: Michael Knott

K1: Nelo Vanquish 3

Ski: Gaisford Bladerunner XI

Paddles: Canoeing – Bracsa IV Max / Ski paddling – Performance Paddles

Favourite food: ice cream

Favourite book: Catch 22 or Watership Down

Favourite movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Favourite music: Bruce Springsteen, Matchbox Twenty, Manic Street Preachers, Train.

Other sports: netball, hockey, athletics (100m, 200m, long jump), and cross country in my youth; swimming, surfing, triathlon and quadrathlon when I get time!!